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Live Review

Paris A/W 23 Menswear: Daily Round-Up

published on 22 January 2023

Live from Paris, editor Hetty Mahlich and contributing fashion critic M-C Hill round up the key takeaways from the menswear shows.

Live from Paris, editor Hetty Mahlich and contributing fashion critic M-C Hill round up the key takeaways from the menswear shows.

Kidill, Wales Bonner
Kicking off the first day of Paris Fashion Week Men's A/W 23 shows, editor Hetty Mahlich and contributing fashion critic M-C Hill do a deep dive into the narrative storytelling and masterful research done by Wales Bonner to construct her poetic visual language. Then the two remark on the emotion of horror felt at Kidill’s subversive exploration of subcultures.

Kidill, Wales Bonner

At.Kollective, Bianca Saunders, Hed Mayner, Givenchy, Walter Van Beirendonck

Editor Hetty Mahlich and contributing fashion critic M-C Hill start their second day in Paris with a presentation for At.Kollective. Mahlich directs the signature off-kilter tailoring by designer Bianca Saunders but notes the lack of any new ideas. Speaking of which, our duo dishes on the disappointment of Hed Mayner whose references felt all too familiar to other designers. The two end the day with Givenchy and Walter Van Beirendonck. The former was defined by a mish-mash of sharp tailoring and boiler suits, while the latter presented a 40-year retrospective and criticism on consumption.

At.Kollective, Bianca Saunders, Hed Mayner, Givenchy, Walter Van Beirendonck

Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten

Tackling day three of the menswear shows solo, M-C Hill raves about Rick Owens and rants about Dries Van Noten. For the former, our contributing fashion critic delves into Rick’s archival references and praises the godfather of goth fashion’s punk aesthetic. As for the former, Hill dubs the show ‘problematic’ due to the dissonance between the clothes and the sonic presentation.

Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten

Dior Men’s, Louis Vuitton

Starting by doing a deep dive into Paris’ game of musical chairs, editor Hetty Mahlich runs through which CEO has gone where and who has replaced who. (Hint: it’s a rather confusing state of family affairs). At Louis Vuitton, Abloh’s genius was referenced everywhere with the brand’s director‘s cut-inspired invitation acting as a clue to the inventive set design. But what about the clothes? Well, their savoir faire tailoring didn’t make up for the lack of cohesiveness according to our critics. Kim Jones’ A/W 23 Dior Men’s collection made much more sense however. ‘You need a conductor having conversations with the design team’. Something Louis Vuitton unfortunately lacks, currently.

Dior Men’s, Louis Vuitton

Comme Des Garçons Homme Plus, Junya Watanabe

Watanabe's menswear is 'much more sober' admits M-C Hill when comparing the designer to his womenswear collections, yet the spectacularity of his A/W 23 is undeniable according to our contributing fashion critic, who immediately points to the mixing of references from A/W 04, A/W 07 and A/W 09. Tiptoeing over to Comme Des Garçon's Homme Plus, this was 'tailoring for the avant garde', matched with a primitive soundtrack that supplied 'the sounds of life'.

Comme Des Garçons Homme Plus, Junya Watanabe

Marine Serre, Kenzo, Namesake, Bode

From Emily Bode’s encapsulation of Americana to Casablanca’s 70s checkerboard of luxe-meets-leisure. Our critics break down day 5 of Paris Fashion Week Men’s. Additional brands discussed include Paris titan Marine Serre, celebrity favourite Kenzo and Namesake.

Marine Serre, Kenzo, Namesake, Bode

Maison Margiela, Lazoschmidl

In their final round-up of the menswear season, our dazzling duo discuss Maison Margiela and Lazoschmidl. At John Galliano’s ready-to-wear runway return, Mahlich makes note of how the model’s brought a cinematic attitude to the catwalk that brought the garments to life. Then M-C delves into the queer spirit that defined Lazoschmidl and the innuendos that referenced club wear.

Maison Margiela, Lazoschmidl

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